Tequila Brand Champion 2017: Patrón

To be named Brand Champion twice is rare. To be given the accolade three times consecutively is unheard of, but such is the case for Patrón Tequila.

The brand recorded volume growth of almost 13% in 2016 and advanced its position among the small list of million­case­selling Tequilas, which has been published without the inclusion of Jose Cuervo, because the brand declined to disclose its case sales.

As well as increasing its own brand equity, Patrón has done much to enhance consumer knowledge of Tequila – the ultra­premium segment in particular – and helped maintain the spirit’s positioning as a luxury product.

According to Lee Applbaum, chief marketing officer for Patrón, the brand benefited from a “tailwind” of consumer interest in artisanal Tequila, and saw “record­setting growth” in international markets such as the UK, Spain, Germany, France, Japan, and Australia, as well as in its key US market and Mexico.

“We intensified our focus on growing awareness of ultra­premium Tequila and particularly our brand in some of these markets, and so last year the benefit of the multi­-year investment came to fruition,” said Applbaum.

Patrón’s unrelenting success has also seen it named Supreme Brand Champion 2017 by The Spirits Business.

See the adjacent column to discover the spirits that sold more than 1m cases last year, as well as The Brand Champions 2017 of each individual category.